Calusa Waterkeeper on what to know about Macroalgae at Matlacha

Originally published by WINK News on March 31, 2022

A stench is coming from algae in one part of Southwest Florida. And now, that smell is affecting businesses and fishing.

The Calusa Waterkeeper is arming you with what you need to know about this algae.

Unsightly, algae is all too common during this time of year. And while the look is one thing, the smell is something completely different.

Calusa waterkeeper John Cassani says macroalgae is showing up all across Matlacha. He describes it as a green grass mat over the water. “The most obvious visual, mats of this algae or this floating mats. They just almost look like vomit in the water. They’re just aggregated environments matter,” Cassani said.